U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,856 B1 discloses a printing device, for example an electrophotographic printing device, with which a printing material such as a continuous paper web is printed. According to FIG. 1, which corresponds to FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,856 B1, a paper web AT is tensioned in a module M1, and is then provided with toner images of the characters to be printed in a printing unit in a transfer printing station T1 (module M2). In a module M3 (fixing station), the toner images are subsequently fixed. The transport path of the paper web AT through the printing device is as follows: the module M1 includes a loop drawing device SZ that functions as a web storage and buffers the paper web as well as holding the same under tension. Then the paper web AT is guided through the printing unit M2 over rollers WA1, WA2, the rollers WA2 defining the feed of the paper web. Finally, the paper web AT is guided through the fixing station M3 with the aid of further rollers WA3 and then exits the printer device. The exact functioning of the individual units of the modules M, such as character generator ZG, developer station E1, transfer printing station T1 and fixing station M3, in detail results from U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,856 B1, to which reference is made herewith.
In the case of a malfunction of the paper drive in the printing device, the paper web has to be removed therefrom, and in fact from the hardly accessible printing unit M2. There exists the problem that the already printed but not yet fixed paper web AT has to be pulled over the rollers, for example the rollers WA2 in FIG. 1, of the printing unit and dirties the same. As a consequence thereof, the rollers have to be cleaned. An object of the invention is to eliminate this problem.